Some Rest
by aisobel
Summary: ConYuu. Yuuri really needs some sleep.


Even though drowsiness was beginning to get the best of him, Yuuri continued to wander, or more accurately, to drag himself around the castle, firm in his decision to delay that night's battle for bed-ground with Wolfram until as late as possible. Considering the hour, the other boy was probably already comfortably asleep and thus at an advantage.  
  
It couldn't be helped, Wolfram was good at their nightly disputes and often got the largest portion of the bed, not to mention most of the covers. Even if Yuuri didn't yield to the kicking and pushing, in the end he'd still be at risk of being cuddled, a fate worse than death. Almost.  
  
He wanted to go home. He wanted to go home so bad, to go back to school, to the baseball team and to his beloved, comfortable bed (that he didn't have to share with anyone!). It wasn't that Yuuri didn't love this world, he did, he just happened to love his freinds and family in Japan, too. Pouting, he lowered his head in defeat, wanting very much to scream for his mother. She'd probably be thrilled if she ever came to New Makoku, though, never wanting to leave; Yuuri could almost see her fawning over Wolfram, but also being slightly disappointed by the lack of wings on someone so cute.  
  
Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. His head snapped up again and his expression was of someone to whom the secrets of the world had been revealed. He had an idea.  
  
"I'll write a letter," he said, solemnly. "I'll ask Ulrike to give it to the original Maou the next time he shows up. Maybe Ulrike didn't tell him about my family in Japan and he thinks I can stay here forever. I'll tell him! I'll explain things to him and then we could negotiate. I'd come back here to fight evil and solve crimes every time necessary, and when things get peaceful again, like now, he'd let me go back home. Surely he'll understand, being into justice and all. I'll have to write in japanese, though, or maybe Günter..."  
  
She didn't finish, he knew it didn't stand one chance in hell of working. "I can't win!" he cried.  
  
On his way to sinking to his knees and weeping like the wimp Wolfram always accused him of being, he noticed someone at the balcony close to the library. Against the night's light it was hard to tell who it was. Yuuri froze.  
  
"At this hour, it must be Gwendal or Conrad," he thought, and instantly hoped for the later. 'Please, not Gwendal, please, not Gwendal' quickly became his favorite mantra, and he repeated it at least ten times before moving closer to the balcony.  
  
A few steps forward and Yuuri was able to recognize the outline of the figure as Conrad's, which relieved him more than he'd like to admit.  
  
Conrad seemed peaceful and unaware of Yuuri's presence. 'That is weird,' he thought, because Conrad always knew when someone was...  
  
"Your majesty." The man had just turned to face him, seeming vaguely surprised, but not unpleasantly.  
  
Yuuri blinked, then laughed sheepishly and scratched his head a bit.  
  
"I think it really is impossible to catch you off guard, ne, Conrad?"  
  
Conrad just chuckled in his habitual tender way that always managed to make Yuuri relax. It was like having all burdens lifted off his shoulders, or at least made much lighter. Yuuri couldn't help worrying, though, if maybe it felt that way because Conrad was the one carrying them for him.  
  
"You scared me. For a moment I thought you could be Gwendal, I was getting ready to be scolded for being up late! He would knot his eyebrows together like this," Yuuri tried to reproduce Gwendal's trademark face, which earned him a laugh from Conrad, "giving me that reproachful look. I'm glad it is you." He sighed in relief, but Conrad tried to reassure him anyway.  
  
"Gwendal is with Yozak, preparing the horses for a patrol at the borders. He won't be scolding you, your majesty."  
  
Your majesty.  
  
Yuuri sighed in mock-disappointment and went to the edge of the balcony where Conrad was, folding his arms on the cold support stone and resting his chin on them. "Ah, you're hopeless. I bet that even if you came to visit me in Japan you'd still call me that, wouldn't you?"  
  
Conrad didn't understand at first, but when he did he laughed and smiled sweetly at the boy. It made Yuuri's skin tingle.  
  
"My apologies, Yuuri. Shouldn't you be in bed, though? Is everything alright?"  
  
"It's nothing, really." Yuuri laughed nervously. "I'm just a bit sore for the baseball game this afternoon, and Wolfram sometimes can get a little agitated in his sleep." He waved his hands wildly, as if to reassure Conrad it was no big deal. The last time Yuuri had lightly commented about the bed situation to someone, Günter had tried to reprimand Wolfram and the boy gave Yuuri the silent treatment for a week. Besides, it wasn't like Yuuri hasn't gotten used to the bed fight by now. But Conrad seemed to 'get' it, and just smiled at him again, amused by the situation.  
  
"You can sleep in my bedroom tonight if you want."  
  
Yuuri didn't have time to hide the blush, but Conrad was fast to amend things.  
  
"I'll be on patrol with Gwendal and Yozak, and it'll take a while; we'll be gone until very late. My room will be empty, so there'll be no one to bother you." He fished a key-chain from his pocket and offered it to Yuuri, who was still blushing.  
  
"Sankyuu, Conrad." Yuuri accepted the keys and held them against the flat of his palm, as if they were some sort of passport to freedom, but he didn't move to leave.  
  
Conrad always did this. Always got him out of trouble, always had a solution for difficult situations and never doubted Yuuri's abilities as a Maou. Yuuri was really grateful for that. Truthfully, when he stopped to think about it, he was a lot more than just grateful. He never told Conrad, though, mainly because he didn't quite know how to put it into words. Every time he tried it all sounded extremely silly in his head, so he hoped Conrad just knew.  
  
It was important for Conrad to know, he thought, because, otherwise, the man could think he wasn't appreciated and he could decide to leave and never come back, and then everything would go wrong, and Yuuri would just do things wrong and fail miserably. He'd fail at everything and all would had been in vain.  
  
Yuuri would also be very sad.  
  
"Conrad?"  
  
"Yes, Yuuri." He was using the comforting voice again, and Yuuri wondered if maybe Conrad could read minds.  
  
"What were you thinking about before? I mean, before I got here and interrupted you. Not that it's any of my business, you do have the right to keep your secrets, everybody has secrets, and hides things, it's normal. I have secrets. Many secrets." He tried to sound very matter-of-fact but his expression was a funny mix of embarrassment and sincere apology. He noticed Conrad thought a bit before answering.  
  
"A long time ago, on a night much like this one, someone very dear to me told me that there would be more peaceful times. At that time it sounded like something almost impossible."  
  
"A girlfriend?"  
  
This made Conrad laugh and blush a little. Yuuri never thought Conrad could blush. "No, she was a friend, a very dear one."  
  
A dear friend, someone important. Then Yuuri remembered and placed a hand at the blue stone resting on his chest, grasping it. "Julia, right?"  
  
Conrad seemed a bit surprised and sad, but he didn't ask Yuuri how he came to that conclusion. Instead he simply gave him a tender smile with tinges of sadness that made Yuuri instantly regret bringing the name up. "Yes, Julia."  
  
Yuuri wished he, too, possessed a comforting voice, so he could use it now. He made a gesture to reach for Conrad's hand, but refrained from it. It became clear to Yuuri what Conrad's trust in his abilities as a Maou actually meant.  
  
"I'll do my best," he said, resolute. "I'll do my best to make Julia right." It was a promise. He didn't know if he'd succeed in keeping it, but he'd try really hard. Not only for Conrad, but for everyone, so that more lives wouldn't be lost unecessarely and people, good people (like Conrad) wouldn't have to mourn their loss. They could all be happy, then. There would be no need for comforting voices.  
  
Suddenly Yuuri was being held by a pair of strong but gentle arms that engulfed him in warmth. It felt nice, so Yuuri buried his face in Conrad's chest and hugged him tighter. 'This feels really, really good,' he thought, but it didn't last long.  
  
Conrad moved, lowering his head and bringing their faces close together. Yuuri could feel Conrad's breath faintly on his lips, and a part of him seemed to get ready for something.  
  
"I know you will, Yuuri." A whisper, a sweet smile, a hand brushing his hair, and that was it. "You should go to bed now, it's late. You have lessons with Günter very early tomorrow, right?"  
  
Yuuri was disappointed. He couldn't grasp why, though, so he just nodded and mumbled a 'Good night' to Conrad's still smiling face.  
  
He was across the hall, walking toward the stairs, when Conrad finally left the balcony to meet Gwendal and Yozak.  
  
"He wanted to make sure I'd take the right stairs. He must think I still can't find my way around. I wonder if he thinks I'm _that_ thick." Yuuri pouted, still disappointed and feeling very tired.  
  
The entire way to Conrad's bedroom, his eyelids were threatening to close and he ended up taking more time to get there than necessary. But it _was_ an awfully big castle after all, especially if you were walking like a zombie. Yuuri was sure he was drooling. Good thing he didn't care about his pride.  
  
He opened the door and entered quietly, as if not to disrupt the room, then stopped by the bed, pondering if he should undress.  
  
His pajamas were in his bedroom and his normal clothes weren't very comfy. In the end, he was too sleepy to think of an alternative, and took off his pants and shirt, slipping in under the covers and crawling to the center of the bed, where he finally laid down on his stomach and sighed in pure bliss. His back was still sore, but having an entire bed for himself helped. He wriggled a bit to get more comfortable.  
  
The whole bed smelled like Conrad. Yuuri's nose brushed against the pillow and he could just feel it, even through the clean pillow case. It made him remember their embrace earlier. It was the same smell, only a bit fainter now, and the covers almost reproduced the warmth and gentleness. The feel of the sheets against his chest made him think of embarrassing things that he wished he wouldn't think of. Nonetheless the thoughts were there, morphing into voices that whispered to him, insistently, refusing to shut up and leaving him dizzy.  
  
Closing his eyes tight, he thrust his hips against the mattress. Another voice told him he shouldn't be doing this, but he was too tired, and the whispers who urged him on were getting far too numerous and insistent. His hands reached for the sheets and clutched them fiercely, starting to thrust again, faster and more forcefully, as if to wipe all the voices away. Release came shortly after, leaving his body limp.  
  
Yuuri remembered telling himself he'd only rest for a minute, and then he'd get up and clean. He dozed off right after finishing that thought.


End file.
